Turek, Michal et al. (2021) International Worm Meeting "Nutritional status and fecundity are synchronised by muscular exopheresis"

Nowak, Natalia, Piechota, Malgorzata, Sliwinska, Malgorzata, Banasiak, Katarzyna, Kowalski, Konrad, Turek, Michal, Pokrzywa, Wojciech, Niklewicz, Marta, Chacinska, Agnieszka, Macias, Matylda, Shanmugam, Nilesh

[International Worm Meeting, 2021]

Organismal functionality and reproduction depend on metabolic rewiring and balanced energy resources. However, the crosstalk between organismal homeostasis and fecundity, and the associated paracrine signaling mechanisms are still poorly understood. Using the Caenorhabditis elegans we discovered that large extracellular vesicles termed exophers, attributed in neurons and cardiomyocytes to the removal of damaged subcellular components, are released by body wall muscles to support embryonic growth. We found that exopher formation (exopheresis) is a non-cell autonomous process regulated by developing embryos in the uterus. Our data suggest that exophers serve as transporters for muscle-generated yolk proteins used for nourishing and improving the growth rate of the next generation. We propose that the primary role of muscular exopheresis is to stimulate the reproductive capacity, thereby influencing the adaptation of worm populations to the current environmental conditions.

Srividya Vasudevan et al. (2005) International Worm Meeting "A screen for suppressors of zyg-11."

Edward T Kipreos, Srividya Vasudevan

[International Worm Meeting, 2005]

CUL-2 is a member of the cullin family (Kipreos et al., 1996). Deletion of the C. elegans cul-2 causes an abnormal metaphase arrest in the maternal DNA of zygotes undergoing the second meiotic cycle. Null mutations in a second gene, zyg-11, also causes a similar metaphase II arrest (Liu et al., 2004; Sonneville and Gonczy, 2004). While CUL-2 and ZYG-11 are dispensable for the first meiosis, they are required for progression through Anaphase II. How CUL-2 and ZYG-11 regulate meiosis II is not known. Nevertheless the existence of such genes suggest a differential regulation of meiosis I and meiosis II . We have evidence that CUL-2 and ZYG-11 function in the same complex (For information on CUL-2 -ZYG-11 physical interaction refer to abstract by Srividya Vasudevan, Natalia Starostina, and Edward T. Kipreos ). In order to identify the targets and regulators of the CUL-2-ZYG-11 complex, we have performed a suppressor screen using a temperature sensitive zyg-11 mutant. After screening 100,000 genomes we have isolated 20 suppressors. We will present an update on our progress in the characterization of these suppressors.

Cole TS et al. (1975) Worm Breeder's Gazette "missing title ?"

Krieg C, Cole TS, Von Ehrenstein G, Schmitt D, Deppe U, Yoder B, Schierenberg E

[Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1975]

This group works on C. elegans for about two years. Our main interest is the development of this organism. We are serial sectioning eggs in various cleavage stages to trace the cell lineage. Completed so far: 1 egg, 2 two-cell stages, 1 four- cell stage, 1 bretzel-stage. An assembly line is being organized and hopefully the turnout will speed up. Nomarski studies on cleaving eggs supplement the EM studies. A detailed study of the ultrastructure of the cleavage furrow and the formation of cell membranes at early cleavage stages has been initiated. We are reconstructing 3-D pictures using a PDP 11/45 computer with a Vector General Graphics Display. Work has been started to accumulate a set of cleavage-deficient mutants for morphological analysis. In addition some preliminary experiments show that eggs can be opened by treatment with a variety of proteolytic enzymes. In this way suspensions of embryonal cells can be obtained. Ruth Pertel is spending 4 months as a guest in the lab to teach us axenic cultivation and replica plating. She also is interested in defining differences between the two strains of C. elegans Bristol N2 and NIH that have been kept separate for a number of years. Jerzy Nowak from Poland worked 4 months on proteolytic enzymes in cleavage stages. He also started using the O'Farrell technique (J.B.C. 250, 4007-4021, 1975) for high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of proteins from eggs and worms. Randy Cassada will join the group as a staff member starting December 1975.